Daily Archives: October 5, 2004


Living Up to The Commitment

It is to bad that cheney-bush failed to live up to this cheney statement from the 2000 cheney-lieberman debate:

I think this is an extraordinarily important decision we’re going to make on November 7. We’re really going to choose between what I consider to be an old way of governing ourselves of high levels of spending, high taxes, an ever more intrusive bureaucracy, or a new course, a new era, if you will. And Governor Bush and I want to offer that new course of action.
In 2000 Cheney almost captured Ann Althouse with this approach.
Well, maybe we did get a new course, a new era. One defined by higher levels of spending, a more intrusive bureacracy, increased secrecy, and, yes, more federal-corporate cronyism.
Via Professor Bainbridge.


Government Helping the Needy

I know some of you have probably forked over big bucks for that new HDTV set and are enjoying some excellent picture quality. I haven’t and have yet to see one at a size and price point that makes me say, “I have got to have that.” And, I also haven’t seen the value in buying that digital cable package. Basic does just fine for the few hours a week that I watch TV.
Since there are apparently a lot of other folks like me out and about our ever helpful federal government is accelerating its work on behalf of big electronics:

It’s one of the biggest technical changes in television since color TV: the digital transition. And because many Americans remain in the dark about it, federal regulators began an education campaign Monday to enlighten them.
Remind me, please, just why it was congress needed to set a target date for “all digital” and why the FCC needs to be spending tax money to act as the marketing arm for the electronics industry in what seems no more than a wealth transfer exercise.
When the perceived value hits the right point people will buy the stuff in droves.